II. DEAD GIRL WALKING
❛homesick, 'cause i no longer know where home is❜
- kings of convenience
LATER THAT SAME DAY, a knock came to Dakota's door. She was staying in some old, musty motel in Forks. It was obvious that it had been years since the last time anyone has stayed in this room, considering Forks doesn't get new visitors frequently. Also, the thick layer of dust that coated most of the furniture was a clear indicator as well. She wasn't particularly happy with it but she had been in worse. There were many nights where the hybrid just stayed in the woods in her wolf phase.
Opening the door, it revealed a tall, russet skinned man. He looked older than her by a few years, definitely in his twenties. Her eyes darted towards his shoulder, taking note of the tribal tattoo on his arm. He was one of the pack. She had a tattoo similar to his, only hers represented the Chinook pack and it had been branded over. A large scar covered her tribal tattoo; it showed that she had been banished. She looked back into his eyes and recognized the same brown eyes of the black wolf. This was the alpha.
"How can I help you, alpha?"
He didn't seem surprised that Dakota knew who he was, more impressed than anything. "Are you able to train the pack now?" He asked the hyrid and she nodded in reply.
"Then come with me." Following him out, he lead her to the edge of the forest and she knew what she'd have to do. Both striped themselves of their clothes before shifting into their wolves.
"Bringing her into the pack house better not be a mistake." She could hear his voice in her head. Dakota froze. She shouldn't have been able to hear him. Only pack members could hear and see into the minds of each other, and it was only while in their wolf form. Dakota was able to hear her pack members thoughts when they were shifted, however that all stopped when she was kicked out. The bond and connection between them had been severed.
"Why can I hear you?" Sam snapped his head in the Dakota's direction when he heard her voice in his head. If he was in his human form, he knew that he would probably be staring at the hybrid with his jaw wide open.
"How is that possible? You're not apart of this pack."
"Your guess is as good as mine. I haven't been able to hear my own pack since I was banished."
"I will speak with the elders of my tribe. Maybe they will know something. Come on, the pack house isn't too far."
Dakota began to follow him but then stopped when she remembered his initial thought, "If you're worried about me, we can train with the pack somewhere else. I wouldn't have to set foot on Quileute lands."
She understood how tribes didn't take well to outsiders, much less ones that were vampires. She doubted that the pack would be happy about her appearance at their pack house. Dakota understood Sam's doubts and hesitations. However, that statement of hers alone gave the alpha reassurance.
"So far, you've given us no reason to believe that you're a threat to us. Don't do anything to screw that up." Sam warned her. He watched as her grey wolf bowed its head, showing him that she understood.
He began his trek to the pack house with Dakota following closely behind. They didn't speak, not once. They just silently walked together and the two managed to travel through the thick forest within no time. When they made it out, Dakota could see a cottage ahead in the clearing. It was small but looked very warm and inviting. It was very similar to her old pack house. Instantly, it brought back unwanted memories and Sam could see them. With Dakota being able to hear and see into his head, he could do the same vice versa. He saw all the small moments in her life that flashed. Most being her and several boys laughing and joking around; some with her and who he assumed to be her father. The night when she laid on the ground, screaming from the top of her lungs in excruciating pain. Then before he knew it, he saw the moment her father banished her. He saw the look of disgust that her father and elders gave her. Sam could feel the pain and heartbreak that she felt in that moment.
"Sam! You're back!" A voice called out, snapping both Sam and Dakota from their minds. Suddenly it was like a stampede, as several shirtless boys, all sporting the same tribal tattoo, came running from the house.
Both Sam and Dakota, went into trees so they could shift and change back into their clothes. The two quickly returned back to the group after putting on their clothing and as expected, when the pack realized who Sam had returned with, a look of shock appeared onto their faces.
"Why is she here?" Dakota's eyes immediately glanced towards the boy who stood in the middle of the group. He was obviously older than most of the pack but visibly younger than Sam.
"Paul." Sam said in a warning tone. He was silently daring Paul to say anything out of line.
"You bring this leech to our pack house and we can't know why she's here?" He fired back. Dakota refrained herself from wincing at the insult against her. She hated being called that.
"She's here to train you against the newborns." Sam informed the group. "You will train with her and that's an order." Everyone knew that the pack had no choice but to listen to Sam's order. They physically could not go against it. No pack member could disobey the order of their alpha.
"I don't want to do this just as much as you guys but we all need the training. We've never dealt with a newborn before, let alone an army of them." He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair before continuing again. "You will listen to Dakota's input and take her advice seriously. I don't plan on losing any of you. Am I clear?"
They all reluctantly nodded, respecting and understanding their alpha, despite not liking what he had to do. Sam gave the pack a grateful nod in return before observing them, a confused look appearing onto his face, "Where's Jacob?"
"With the leech-lover." The only girl in the pack scoffed.
"Oh come on, Leah." A boy, who had similar facial features to the girl said. However, Leah didn't seem to care, "Why do we have to help Bella? She's the one who got herself into that mess to begin with, Seth." Dakota smirked, she was liking this Leah chick more and more by the second.
"We're helping her because of Jacob." One of the boys spoke up reminding her, but judging by the sound of his voice, he didn't seem very happy about it himself.
"It doesn't really matter why you're doing it. The fact is that you are and you need to keep yourselves alive." Dakota spoke up, putting an end to the bickering among the pack. They all snapped their heads in her direction and narrowed their eyes at her.
"Why are you so set on keeping us alive?" Leah questioned the hybrid. None of the pack knew why Dakota wanted to help them stay alive and Leah was asking the question that they were all thinking.
"I didn't want to be what I am now. It wasn't my choice. I was the best damn spirit warrior in my pack and it took a matter of seconds for my life to be completely shattered. Now look at me. In my father's eyes, I no longer exist. I'm an abomination to my tribe. I'm just some monster. I never want anyone to experience what I had to, all because I made one mistake with a vampire. I would never wish for any shape-shifter to go through what I have or worse, die." She sighed, "That's why."
The pack of wolves couldn't help but feel sympathetic for Dakota, and surprisingly that included Leah. Dakota wasn't what she was by choice and she obviously hated it. They could see the shame in her eyes and it instantly made them all regret any negative thing they said or thought about the hybrid.
"Teach us what you know." The boy, Paul is what Dakota remembered Sam calling him, said. It was as if with those words alone, all tension in the air had been blown away by the wind.
The hybrid nodded, "Get into your wolf forms." She ordered. It didn't take long for Sam and his pack to shift, the group of people being replaced by wolves. Dakota's demeanor had changed completely. As soon as they lined up in front of her, she was like a general speaking to her army of soldiers.
"As a hybrid, my human blood lingers in my tissues, meaning I have the strength of a newborn. I am the closest thing to what you will face in four days. You will all take turns trying to attack me. Try to keep in mind the techniques and suggestions that Jasper gave you earlier. If you fail to take me down, you will not leave this field until you do." She walked into the middle of the field and took her stance.
"Who wants to go first?"
The pack glanced at one another, seeing who would go first. None of them were exactly looking forward to fighting Dakota. They saw how easily she took down Jasper and he was the most skilled of the Cullens.
"Don't all jump at once." Sarcasm dripped from her voice as she urged the pack to hurry up and make a decision. Rolling her eyes, Leah stepped forward on her paws. Dakota grinned, of course Leah would be the first to fight her. Boys were a bunch of wusses.
Leah's grey and white wolf began running towards the hybrid, jumping up into the air to attack her, making that her very first mistake. Dakota ducked, getting under the wolf and wrapping her arms around Leah and taking her down.
"If you allowed a newborn to get their arms around you, they would have crushed every single bone in your body, killing you instantly or leaving you vulnerable for another to kill you. Either way, you end up dead. Don't make the obvious choice, Leah. Think before you attack."
Leah huffed out a frustrated breath before walking back over to the pack where Embry and Jared had been conjuring up a plan the entire time using their link. Jared was next to step forward. He stood still, making no move to attack the hybrid. He wanted her to come to him and Dakota knew that. Deciding to grant him his wish, she began running towards the wolf. Just as she was able to reach him, he dodged her, she focused her attention onto Jared's retrieving figure that she never even saw Embry jump up. His wolf tackled her, forcing her body to slam into the ground as he pinned her down.
Dakota looked up and smiled. "Now that's how you do it," she praised the two wolves impressed. "Your strongest advantage will be the element of surprise. The newborns will have no idea that you're going to be there, use that against them just as they just did with me."
The training went on for hours until every single one of them were finally able to take her down, efficiently and effectively. They were all exhausted and wanted nothing more than to eat and get some sleep. Dakota however wasn't nearly as tired as the rest of them. She was too filled with pride. She was more confident about them fighting now. She knew that now with the proper knowledge, they could take down this army without a problem. It wouldn't be easy but she whole-heartedly believed that they could do it.
"Good job." She gave the Quileute pack, who were now back in their human forms, a proud nod of the head. She turned to Sam and as she was taught, respectfully bowed. With the training finished, she had no reason to be on their lands for any longer.
They watched as she retreated, walking further and further away from them. She had only been able to make it a far as a few yards before Seth called out to her.
"Dakota!"
She stopped, turning around, her raven hair whipping behind her. She faced the youngest of the group, waiting for what he had to say.
"Do you want to stay for dinner? I'm sure Emily has made more than enough food." While the pack were shock to hear Seth's offer, none were opposed to the idea. Sure, some like Paul and Leah were still weary but they could see that Dakota was more like them than the Cullens.
Flabbergasted.
That was probably the best word in the entire English language to describe the way she felt. The last thing Dakota would have ever expected was for one of the pack members to have suggested for her to not only stay on their lands but sit down and have dinner with them. It made her feel emotional. Her vision became blurred as tears built up. She desperately blinked them away. Most showed Dakota disgust, sending her away. Jasper and Carlisle had been the first to show her kindness. However, Seth, he had been the first to invite her into their home. No one had ever gone that far, not even the Cullens.
Dakota looked over to Sam, not daring to accept the invitation without his consent. She would not go against his wishes.
Sam saw the look of surprise that appeared on Dakota's face. He saw how much it affected her. The way her eyes shimmered with tears made it obvious. He could only imagine what she had gone through over the last two years after her banishment. How lonely she must have felt.
He nodded, gesturing with his head for the girl to follow them inside. Hesitantly, she lagged behind as they lead her inside. She didn't really know how to act. She was on guard. This was a first for Dakota.
"So who's Emily?" She questioned as they approached the small cottage home.
"Sam's imprint." Embry answered. Leah scoffed. Dakota sensed there was some bad blood between Emily and Leah, judging by her reaction and she assumed that Sam had something to do with it. However, she chose not to comment on it as it was not her place to do so. Instead, she nodded and entered the pack house.
The aroma of homemade hamburgers made it's way to her nose and Dakota's mouth started watering. She hadn't had a home cooked meal in years. In the kitchen, behind a counter, stood a young woman, probably around Leah and Sam's age. Large claw-like scars covered most of the right side of her face.
"Hey guys." A large smile appeared on her face when Sam approached the woman. He wrapped his arms around her and pecked dozens of kisses all over her face, making Emily giggle. Dakota smiled softly at the interaction between the two. Imprinting was a beautiful thing. She saw how having an imprint could change one's entire perspective and meaning on life. How suddenly, nothing else mattered except for that one person. It often made Dakota wonder what it would be like to have an imprint. Then it made her think about how no one would want an imprint like her.
"Who's this?" Emily asked when she noticed the stranger in her kitchen.
"I'm Dakota." She introduced herself.
"You're the hybrid." Emily stated, realization hitting her. However, there was no hidden meaning behind her words. No shock. No disgust. Just Emily simply stating a fact.
Dakota nodded, "That would be me."
"Well, are you hungry? I made plenty of food," Emily gestured to all the food that had been placed on the table.
"Starving, actually." It was true. The sight of all the food on the table had made the girl build up an appetite.
"You eat regular food?" Quil questioned.
Dakota laughed and nodded, "I can survive on human food. Feeding on animal blood is only something I do every once in a while just to keep up my strength." She explained as they all sat down and began eating.
"You said you turned when you were fifteen right?" Seth asked, making the girl hum in response as she was currently stuffing down a hamburger.
"You don't look like you're fifteen." Sam commented.
She sallowed down the bite, "That's because I'm seventeen. Apparently, I still age. I grew a half inch in the last year. I guess that's the shape-shifter side," she shrugged. She could survive off human food. She aged. She had no scent. She didn't really know how it all worked. All Dakota knew was that it happened.
The sound of a truck pulling up to the front of Sam and Emily's home made it's way to their ears, diverting their attention.
"Who is that?" Paul asked.
"Looks like Old Quil and Jake's dad." Embry said.
They were proved to be right when Old Quil entering the home, pushing Billy Black in on his wheelchair. Immediately, the pack stood up greeting the two elders of the Quileute tribe. Dakota sat awkwardly at her seat, picking at her food. She never even got the chance to look at the two men because the pack surrounded them so quickly. However the greetings were cut short when Billy Black saw the young hybrid through the crowd.
"Dakota?"
She snapped her head up in the direction of the familiar voice and that's when she was finally able to see Billy. Her eyes watered as she saw the man she once considered family. As an elder, Billy knew many cheifs and elders from other tribes, Dakota's father being one of them.
"You're alive?" The sight of her brought tears in his eyes. He didn't understand how could someone, who was supposed to be be dead, was standing in front of him, very much alive.
His question made her eyebrows furrow but nonetheless she nodded, "Why would I be dead?"
"Dakota, I attended your funeral two years ago. Your father and entire tribe was there." The girl's jaw dropped. Dead!? He told everyone I died? Those were just some of the many thoughts running through her mind.
"He faked my death as a coverup." She whispered, the realization and shock all hitting her at once. Grabbing onto the chair, Emily slowly helped the hybrid sit down, as she suddenly felt her knees grow weak.
"You're Dasan White's daughter?" Old Quil asked. Billy nodded, seeing as Dakota wasn't really in the state of mind to do so.
"Why would he tell your entire tribe that you died Dakota?" Billy asked, rolling his wheelchair up to the young girl, holding her hand in a comforting manner.
She pulled up the short sleeve of her t-shirt, revealing the larger burn scar that now covered her tribal tattoo.
"You were banished? Why?" Old Quil asked.
Tears were running down the young girl's face at this point. She honestly couldn't believe it. Her father, the pack, and the elders faked her death so her tribe wouldn't ask questions. All of her friends and family believed her to be dead.
"To cover this up." She pulled down the collar of her shirt to reveal the three sets of bite marks. While shape-shifters aren't completely immune to vampire bites, they do have accelerated healing properties in their genetic code that fights against the venom. The most it should have done was weaken her before the newborns killed her in another way. However that wasn't the case. The second the newborns had gotten their arms around her, they held her wolf down each of the three biting into her neck. The pain had been excruciating. She could only compare it to being burned alive from the inside out.
"That's— That's impossible."
She shrugged, "Apparently not."
"And you've been alone this entire time?" Billy's heart broke at the thought. A young fifteen year old girl abandoned by the only family she knows.
Dakota looked down at her fingers, fidgeting with them as she reluctantly nodded. Billy brought her in for a warm embrace. Dakota closed her eyes as she returned the hug, the first hug she recieved in two years. She relished in the feeling. The warm feeling and love that it gave her.
"You're never gonna be alone again." He whispered into her ear. "Not on my watch, Kota."
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